I had a few operations a couple of months ago, one being my right hand where they detached & then reattached the ligaments in my index finger. I wasn't able to paint but I did find that scratchboard, which I've been wanting to try for awhile, was easy to do. Somehow a world without art was not an option. My hand still looks bad but feels great now.

It's been a long while since I posted but have made a new resolution to re-begin posting. It's good for me to keep in touch with the artists around me.

I'm in California right now & will fly home next Friday. My husband & I are going to drive back to Cali for the holidays. We can stop & visit my daughter & see their new home in CO (with it's fabulous views) along with their new horses - can't wait! Will have to bring some very warm riding clothes. I also have plans to go to a couple of the wild horse sanctuaries to gather more reference.

 Had a terrific Oct. show in San Dimas. Really looking forward to the western show next April.

 I have had great news from the ARC (Art Renewal Center) that my 'Brahma Mama' made it as a finalist to the animal/wildlife division. This is a huge honor. 'Brahma Mama' has won a few major awards & it's going to the Women Artists of the West show in Texas. You can see an image of her & other goings on on my web site at www.lindawalkerart.com.


This is 'Gazelle' 7" x 5"; original sold at the Irving Museum show (I'll get more ambitious with the size when I get home). It's the second piece I did, the first on being "Ram" which is on my web site.

This is a message written for artists and sent from Robert Genn <robert@painterskeys.ccsend.com> on behalf of; Robert Genn Twice-Weekly Letter <rgenn@saraphina.com>
This letter deals with quantity vs quality. It has a very surprising conclusion & is well worth the reading as is his other letters & the responses from other artists. If you do not already get his letters I would highly recommend your signing up for them. The latest letter

Two artists  November 2, 2012 or http://painterskeys.com/

Robert

PS: "Artists get better by sharpening their skills or by acquiring new ones; they get better by learning to work, and by learning from their work." (David Bayles and Ted Orland)

Vote for me on the Art Stars Video Competition!!!

Click on the link below to view a short video

http://www.youtube.com/artstarscontest#p/c/0F95A2CE4AC35901/10/ZBYbWeNATf0

I am in the 28 finalists for the Jerry's Artarama 'Art Stars' Competition. The votes are counted as views of the video but only one view per day per computer ISP is counted. The counting is finished April 30 so please let it run every once in awhile, I would be very appreciative.

My husband and I filmed this video with some less than satisfactory equipment and without the professional help of some of the artists so please forgive the pixilations and less than satisfactory quality. This isn't an excerpt from a full length professional video. The winner of the competition will have a full dvd professionally done for them.

No matter what the outcome I will be putting together some DVDs this year. I would like them to be on subjects that have been popular for my workshops.

I'm painting a lot and getting ready to leave for California early April through mid June. I'll be teaching a workshop in Wickenburg, AZ April 12 through 15.

Here is a photo of our two new bulls, #91 & #92...no, we haven't as yet come up with names for them, they need manly names. They're in Kentucky right now & I'd like to watch them grow but it's just a little far to just drop by, perhaps we can fix that in the near future.

Again, I've been a long time getting back to my blog. I'm trying to make a habit out of too many things, exercise, painting, cleaning, goofing...just not enough time or willpower.

I'm painting again, I took a few weeks off from life & did a little less than nothing. I became ambitious just a week-ish ago. Am about 1/2 finished with a painting of horses o the back side of Santa Anita Race track.

I have to start taxes soon & there goes another week but this year am hoping to get to them early so I'm not trying to do them & pack for SoCal.

Hope this is the start of an exciting, healthy, 'wonderous' year for all.

We got home two weeks ago & I arrived with a cold which laid me up for a week & from which I'm still trying to get my energy back. I haven't even finished the unpacking & clearing up. Starting to feel a little more active & we walked down to the lake to take pictures of the swans. I got some gorgeous photos & probably just in time as the lake is starting to ice up. I also took a lot of photos of our two newest calves (two dandy bulls - Greg is really happy about that). They are by & out of some very good bucking stock so it should be interesting to watch their progress.

We found a place to buy in TN. 25 acres of pasture with a wonderful house (2,500 sq. ft. on an unfinished basement). That's the good news, the bad news is that we are going to have to work on getting our home up for sale - lot's to do.

I put the painting to OPA into the mail & finally got my paints set up. Would like to start a painting for the OPA National show, among others. I have a drawing done of horses behind the scene at the track that hopefully will turn out as I envision it. I'll also start on the swans, calves, wild horses, buffalo, elk.....oh my! Must go work.

I won a second best of show!!!!

It has been a great past couple of weeks. I won second place in the San Dimas Wildlife show, last weekend...Yea!!!! It was even made better because there were some outstanding artists & art. The show was a terrific success & the sales were stellar. I'm going to try for their western show (have to show that I have enough western work). The people who run the show are so great to work with & many of my artist friends are there. It would work out to be good timing with the Wickenburg, AZ workshop.

I also was invited to participate in the Small works show at the Clymer Museum of Art in Ellensburg, WA. I have to get those paintings in the mail ASAP. I stopped & picked out a frame to be made for the Oil Painters show & it should be home about the time we get there.

We are leaving Sunday to drive home through Nashville. We just found out we have another bull calf on the ground & Greg is anxious to see his new additions. We have also found a few houses to look at. some with about 25 acres, although I'm too old to be taking care of cattle, it would afford us some space for quiet.

Our trip so far

I had a great time at the show in Cody, WY. Great art & terrific experience. I had the Irma Cody suite which I decorated with easels covered with old fashioned material to display my paintings. We had a great turn out & the show was a success which always helps one have a good time.

After the show my husband & I made our way through Yellowstone park ( we had a little trouble because of some fires closing a portion of the road & construction closing other parts). Never the less it was spectacular! Tons of elk & buffalo & fabulous scenery - great pictures that I can't wait to paint from. We walked all of the available geyser trails & had to drive through Bozeman the first day to get to our room in West Yellowstone late but it was worth it.

We are both looking forward to doing this again.

I'm at a hotel in San Dimas tonight. We set up our show tomorrow & then have the "dinner" for the collectors. The show is two more days & then we will start looking to leave the first of the following week. I think we are still set on driving through Nashville on the way home. We have several places to look at for new homes & we just found out we have a new bull calf so it will take some pretty bad weather for Greg to decide this isn't a good idea.

I stopped on the way to San Dimas to get a frame made for a painting that is going to the OPA eastern regional show in Florida. I am anxious to see how it looks but he is sending it to our home so will have to wait for awhile.

Will post some images of our trip later this week. I'll also let you know how the San Dimas show goes. This is such a good show & they only invite 23 artists so I am very honored to be amongst them. A very dear friend & funny gal, Leslie Kirchner, will be staying with me on Saturday night so that should be a fun evening. So far the room is fabulous & I am having a very good time.

'Autumn on the River' oil 9" x 12"
Just one of the gorgeous autumn days in Minnesota. I am doing a wildlife show so I placed some ducks in the milling in the background.

'Misty Vista' oil 9" 12"
This is at Bandon Golf Course in Oregon. A good day no matter how you play.

I'm slowly getting ready to leave for my trip to Wyoming & California.

Must make a correction to the date for the San Dimas Show, it's Oct. 16 through 18.

We will stay in L.A. for a couple of weeks to visit with the moms & go to the ABBI bucking bull show in Las Vegas on the way home. Three days of entertainment & food. We stay at the Southpoint which is about as comfy as it gets. I also plan on a lot of visiting with art friends & getting saturated with art. We have some great friends that are long time docents at the Getty museum & I plan to take them up on an offer of a close-up inspection of some of the gorgeous work there.

I've been painting on some small landscapes lately. They are so much fun to do that it might be hard to get back to the detailed work of fur & feathers. I started because it seemed that backgrounds were what I needed the most work with. I could always do them well but I'm working to get more spontaneity. It doesn't necessarily add up to less work. The goal is to really work on looser brushwork. I can't see myself using the thick juicy paint that plien air painters use but a softer, lost edge look that is my own is coming through. So far they have been very well received. I've include 2 at the top of this entry.

I took down the show at the Northern Gallery & got my painting sent off to Texas. I have decided not to do the San Bernardino show - it's just so much work & even though the sales are good I get way too tired & it keeps me away from home for too long. I'll probably put my walls up for sale when I go back to L.A. in April for the Wickenburg, AZ workshop. It will be my 4rth & I may also do a one day plien air workshop between the lecture & the 3 day workshop. I'll post more on that later. I've decided to concentrate on juried shows. They are much easier on me & I can do some traveling to the openings along with the couple of wildlife shows I do in CA. I've been asked to do some workshops that are out of town but I'll have to see how well they schedule in. I may also finally get to some sculpting & wouldn't jewelry be fun?

Stay well & be happy creating.

Getting ready for Shows

When I Grow Up - oil - 12" x 16"

Juried into the Bosque Classic, TX

'Misty Links' oil 9" x 12"
On display at Northern Artists Gallery, MN

I have been remiss, as usual, in adding to my blog and that's a little odd considering how much I like to talk. I do have a lot going on now and in the future.

There are two of my small works originals being shown online at the WAOW membership show. Go to www.waow.org and I'm under signature & emeritus.

Greg & I will be leaving Sept. 21st-ish to drive to a show in Cody, WY Sept. 23 through 26. This show should be lots of fun. It's being held at the Historic Irma Hotel & I've been assigned the rooms of Irma Cody (Wild Bill's daughter). You can find information on this show at www.codyartshow.com.

We then head toward Los Angeles to visit our moms, after a swing through Yellowstone for a few days of photographing the sights. I have a wildlife art show in San Dimas on Oct. 21 through 23. This is a terrific venue, only 22 artists are invited and they supply the walls.

I also have a painting (I'll show it at the end of this writing) juried into the prestigious 24th Annual Bosque Art Classic in Cliffton, TX(used to be the Bosque Conservatory).

We are staying in L.A until the first of Nov. (I'm talking to Wickenburg to see if we can agree on a time for me to give a workshop but it might have to wait until next May). We are deciding on whether we might stay in Vegas for a few days to see the ABBI classic & relax at the Southpoint or drive to Nashville to visit with Greg's brother & take a look at what TN has to offer.

I'm doing some smaller - 5 x 7 & 9 x 12 - landscapes. They are great fun but I have to get busy on a nice piece for San Dimas plus I need to do a small work on paper for a benefit they have. I'd like to make this a good one.

Here is a sample of what I'm doing:
One is when 'I Grow Up' a 12 x 16 oil, going to the Bosque Classic show Sept. 13 through the 26th.
The other is 'Misty Links' a 9 x 12 oil of Bandon Course in Oregon. It is being shown, along with some of my other work, at the Northern Artists Gallery where I was asked to be feature artist for the month of August - this is also their 20th anniversary.

I'm happily painting without too many interruptions & will hopefully have everything done for our trip. We found someone to stay with our home & care for our pets - that's always a biggy. Hope you all are well & creating.

This is Buttons the painting is 'Spring Surprise' & is a 12" x 9 oil painting of one of our calves.


It's been awhile since I last posted - shame on me. I've been very busy both with personal & artistic things. On a personal note my husband, Greg, & I took our first trip together in about 10 years. We drove to Los Angeles, stopping both ways at my daughters gorgeous new home in Evergreen, CO. She & her husband Vince moved from Hawaii in August & are absolutely thrilled, she has elk roaming through her yard & fabulous vistas everywhere. She has made a career change & gone back to school for a P.A. degree & is happy as anyone can be. Greg & I stayed in southern CA for about 5 weeks. I had to stay with my mother while she received & recuperated from a knee transplant. I'm now back in CA because my mom had to also have drastic shoulder surgery. I was going to fly in the first of Feb. & leave mid March & then return in mid April through May but she needed more care taking than that & I am staying here until mid May, it made doing taxes & such a bit logistically difficult. I miss home & Greg & my pets very much & hope the days fly by.

On the art scene, I gave workshop in June to the Wickenburg group & another in Jan. to the group in Baudette, MN. It was such good fun. Both groups are full of such great artists, so willing to learn & share. I have had my elephants accepted into another show in CO along with the frosty barn. A great show, wish I could have attended. Hopefully my mom's health will become stable & I can do more traveling.


I am invited to the Reflections of Nature wildlife show in Fallbrook, CA May 1, 2 & 3. I'm really looking forward to this show. So many of my favorite artist friends are attending. I'm rooming with one of my favorites in a guest house that has been graciously offered us. They only accept 27 artists & it is considered a premier show on the west coast. They treat us so great there & the venue at their art museum is always lovely. I'll write about how it went as soon as it's over.

Remember to create when you can & be greatful that you can create.

I just found out I won the Betty King Wright Award at the Red River Valley Museum Art show in Texas for "Cradled in the Past". Love to win awards as they help confirm that my work is moving in the right direction. And cash awards are really terrific what with the cost of getting paintings framed, photographed & shipped not to mention the jury fees, etc. I've been spending large amounts on great, hand made frames for some of the originals & custom frames for others & I found a wonderful custom frame that I use on all of the prints.

I also finished revamping my web site. I felt it was getting tired & out of date. I hope those who visit like the new look. www.lindawalkerart.com

I've got to get back to my painting, I'm working on a calf (Buttons is our first calf - we just had another we named Bows & bought a young heifer my mother-in-law named Fancy). I'll probably do paintings of all of them this year.

This is the first stage oil drawing of 'Buttons' - isn't she adorable? I'll show the progression as I go.

I'm back to my blog

One of my best friends came to visit for 3 weeks, we had a great time together.

I have been busy with my artwork just not painting as much & often as I should or more importantly want. I'm in the middle of helping artists apply to WAOW. That's a big job, even with 2 of us working at it.

I have created a couple of paintings that I'm happy with & was accepted to the art shows I wanted. There are a couple more that I would like to get into this year. The San Bernardino Wildlife show is the only one I travel to to show & sell my work although I'm thinking of applying for another one next year. I don't want to get spread too thin, I want to be able to enjoy without being rushed.

The artist group here in Bemidji have scheduled me to give a 3 day workshop beginning June 16. This one is how to use your reference to create a painting, I don't use one standard method so it should be interesting. I also have one student who received a grant to have me give private classes in color. I do enjoy giving workshops, I always come away with new knowledge.

"Cradled in the Past" is shown at the Red River Valley Museum for their show at their museum in Vernon, TX, through June 27.
I own the Ute basket that the fox is curled up in.

"Elephant Walk" is an oil painting that was accepted to the OPA (Oil Painters of America) juried National show. It's displayed at Dana Gallery, Missoula, MT until June 12.
My reference for this was from my trip to Kenya. I'd sure love to go back soon.

I wish I could have gone to one of the openings but I had company come the day before. Hopefully I can get into them again next year & go to the opening.

I'll try to write more - once every few months is not often enough.

I was painting on an ornament for the San Bernardino Museum's 25th anniversary, I'll photograph and post that later, when a good friend called and told me there were tigers at the mall. I, of course, jumped in the truck and drove to see them...wow. I know that it concerns some that these beautiful animals must live in cages and put up with humans under unnatural circumstances but this as it is and I'm going to give what support I can to those who care for and do the best they can for them. This particular group is G. W. Exotic Animal Foundation at www.gwpark.org and they were all terrific. For a donation you could get in the cage and be with a couple of babies (I brought my camera of course) and have photos taken. They were on a fund raising tour. Hope you visit their web site, they are the nations largest big cat rescue operation. For two years I volunteered at the Exotic Feline Breeding Compound in Rosemond, CA and so I have a big soft spot in my heart for these animals and the peril they face.

Must get back to painting, I'm trying to get my oils finished for the Calif. Show and get myself organized for my upcoming trip. I'll try and take some time to post some images of what I've been working on.

'Rodeo Veteran' oil 11" x 14"

Much of my time has been spent painting, which is turning from a luxury to a reality. I had several commissions to finish and work to get done for the shows. My artist friends have hardly had time to get together for our monthly meetings although yesterday I meant with good friend and fellow artist, Ruthann Nordlund, to talk about the upcoming Women Artist of the West (WAOW) member’s show in Chicago. It should be a terrific one. It’s being held at the Hilligoss Gallery and we have guest artists such as Nancy Guzik and Richard Schmid, Kristen and Timothy Thies among some other real talent attending and/or participating. It has made everyone raise the bar for their artwork submissions. There are about 50 members attending, along with the guest artists, so it should be a ball.

I also have the 25^th Anniversary show at the San Bernardino Museum. This is a 4 day wildlife show with dinners and benefit auctions attached. One of the auctions they are having is for anniversary ornaments made by each of the 25 artists, they will be auctioned as a group. I’m not a crafter so this is a real challenge for me. It must be finished in a couple of weeks so I’ll post a photo of it when I finish. It will incorporate a miniature painting, but how, I don’t know yet. I’ve also been invited to participate in a show in San Francisco for the Cow Palace western show next April. I love doing the western paintings and will post one her today. It’s ‘Rodeo Veteran’ an 11” x 14” oil.

I am also posting all of the membership applications for a new round of jurying new members, online. It’s a big job.

So I will be flying in to Los Angeles to begin preparing for the SBMA show. Fly to and form Chicago and not leave L.A. until the first of Dec. My daughter and husband are flying in from Hawaii to visit for Thanksgiving, can hardly wait. Greg and I will celebrate our day when I get home. We have also been looking at places to move to in TN. We have new calves and bred cows – all rodeo stock. Greg has been busy being involved with that whole world, including photographing and making some exciting video DVD’s of the bull riding events. Me, I found a horse that would make me exchange my lake for – although I’m hoping to still be surrounded by gorgeous scenery and wildlife.

I've just begun to settle from traveling. I finished off my workshops with one on fur to a group that I have given several workshops to, in Baudette, MN. It was full and hard work but being with these artists is always a joy. I also gave a fur workshop in Wickenburg, AZ. The artists that I taught were all so accomplished that it made me work overtime. I will post some images in the next day or two. Some artist freinds and I also drove back up to Baudette to meet in a classroom with some of the students and just paint together. We spent the whole day focusing on flowers. We did get in a couple of great meals and good talk between a lot of hours of painting. We are going to get together again soon, probably here in Bemidji, at one of our homes for critiques and coffee and hopefully some painting. I'm working on a the preliminaries for a DVD on some of my workshops.
Happy painting.

"Zebra" by Linda Walker

"Zebra" 5" x 3.5" oil by Linda Walker

I got to travel to Africa last year and what an incredible trip it was. I'm going again as soon as I can fund another trip. I have had the good fortune both through my first job as a flight attendant (I was a stewardess and the job lated 21 years instead of the 2 years I had planned on) and my husband's job and penchant for travel. Anyway, I saw three species of Zebra and each was stuningly beautiful. I am just starting a large painting of them against one of the Kenya backgrounds. The morning is damp and foggy, just perfect for doing indoor things.

Zebra is a framed miniature and sells for $225 includes s&h. To purchase click here

"Spring Bouquet"

"Spring Bouquet" 7" x 5" oil Sketch

These were Easter flowers from last year that I thought were so pretty. I don’t usually paint flowers but now that I’m doing these sketches I have found my reference expanding. Painting these will give my husband or daughter a reason for getting me a new bouquet this Easter…so yes there is madness and greed behind my painting.
I have a few set-ups that I’ll paint this week, on of which contains some dried white rosebuds from a bouquet my sister sent me. I am running out of patience with them and can’t wait to get back to the smell of oils. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the art of illustrations and am not proud when they are completed but right now I have so many other directions on my mind that it is hard to concentrate on them. I have managed to paint a couple of serious works to submit to shows.
This painting is $125 which includes S&H right now it’s in a nice gold frame which I can sell framed for $150. To Purchase click here.

"Kern River Fishing Hole"

"Kern River Fishing Hole" 4" x 6" oil sketch

This was one of our favorite places to go during the hot California summers. We camp or rent a wonderful cabin in Coffee Camp, not too far up the road from here. There was a small sand beach and the water was deep enough to swim in without the treacherous rapids found in much of the Kern River. I don't do too many landscapes although I'm really a fan and could learn much by painting them more often. The light, perspective, atmosphere are both a challenge and a joy. I can competely understand the drive plein air painters have. In fact I just purchased a pochard, mostly to tote while giving workshops, but as soon as it stops raining I'd like to set it up on our deck, which overlooks a beautiful lake setting, and get to painting outdoors.

This sketch is $100 including S&H. To Purchase click here

"Pheasant"

"Pheasant" 3.5" x 5" oil Miniature

We occasionally have these beautiful, stately birds show up around our home but mostly, because we live in a wooded area, we see them in the fields a short ways from here. I'm doing a few studies such as this one to familiarize myself with them and would then like to do a large painting. I have some great reference of one with all of his gorgeous plumage. I'd love to get started on it but there are so many images on my plate that I'm not sure when I'll be able to begin.
The day is rainy today and looks to stay that way for a time. I have almost finished my taxes and have about another 2 weeks before I finish the illustrations for the chidren's book. Then a workshop in Wickenburg and a quick trip to Hawaii to visit my daughter. She's so much fun and I don't see her often enough so I can hardly wait. I'll try and come back refreshed (tough to do on the islands) and ready to get to work painting . I should get smart and make these trips in the winter when we're freezing here.
This is a miniature and sells for $225 including S&H. To purchase click here

Zebra

"Zebra" miniature oil painting, 5" x 3.5"

I got to travel to Africa last year and what an incredible trip it was. I'm going again as soon as I can fund another trip. I have had the good fortune both through my first job as a flight attendant (I was a stewardess and the job lated 21 years instead of the 2 years I had planned on) and my husband's job and penchant for travel. Anyway, I saw three species of Zebra and each was stuningly beautiful. I am just starting a large painting of them against one of the Kenya backgrounds. Right now I've got to get back to finishing the illustrations for a 4th book of children's poetry written by Linda Chambers. The morning is damp and foggy, just perfect for doing indoor things.

This is a framed miniature and sells for $225 includes s&h. To purchase click here